Awareness

([Location encrypted] - Prisoner's POV)----

"341 days in the fifth year", I counted with my fingers. "Hmm, how old am I again?"

I had been on that Island for years now. They say that soon they'll reach this place and take us in for experiments.

I wondered though, how did those feel like?

It all sounded fun. People would come back looking really different!

Hehe, I wanted to look really cool like John here. Why did they keep us locked up in these small rooms though? The lights were dim and it was difficult to see. My glasses don't work here! That's bad!

No fun, I was bored.

"Hey, John?", I excitedly crawled over to him as he was lying down. "John, John, hey John!"

"Oh bummer", I sighed.

How long was he going to lie down there? He didn't look good but, he always slapped me whenever I questioned him and it hurt so I wouldn't ask him any question.

"I'm lonely, wake up already"

He still slept there, how was that possible!?

He had been sleeping for two years now. Haha, the entire cell began to smell a few months after he was brought in here. His looks changed, he was cool!

Mmm, there was this red liquid that oozed from his eyes and other parts of his body. Was he also beaten up like he always did to me?

Haha! I'm sure he was very tired! He did always tell me not to listen to the pain and blood because it meant that he was teaching me a lesson though.

Hehe, I learnt a lot but...

"I'm very lonely", I hugged my knees. "When will you go to the hospital? Those things look like worms. You smell too- oh no", I let out a gasp, promptly covering my mouth.

I said something rude! Now he was going to teach me a lesson again.

...

"Huh? John, won't you beat me up?", confusion settled in. "Oh well, still asleep", I giggled as I began to rock myself back and forth.

"La La La La~ and mechs got into the bet~ Then the humans took the bet and BOOM! The little mech people fell with a THUD~", singing was fun!

"John! I made a new song again!"

...

As curiosity finally took over, I crept up to him through the dark. Then, something wet touched my hand.

"Uh oh, John", I squinted my eyes. "Ooo, smells like the red thing that comes out when you whip me!"

"Aww, stop being so silent"

"-Lunchtime, unlocking cells-"

The doors slid open, allowing white light from the hallway outside to illuminate the room.

"Yaay! Lunchtime!", excited, I got up and walked to the door, looking back. "John, you'll miss lunch again."

... No response ...

"Hehe, I'll have yours then~"

"-All prisoners are to move uniformly to the food station, any form of escape method will lead to instant death-"

"Hmm", I placed my hand on my chin. "How does death feel like?"

(Food Station)----------------------

"Food! Food! Food!", my tummy was really empty so I was very happy to see food!

We only ate once a month, but it was still awesome!

Okay! Food time!

I rushed to the counter, "Aunt! Can I have some food!?"

All the ladies that worked there were my aunts! They were great. Their masks looked cool too.

"Step back brat", she snapped. "Jeez, even these masks can't filter the smell emanating from you. Filthy bastard."

"Teehee", I scratched my hair. "I want food."

She face-palmed, "Go get that obnoxious blood stain from your hands and do something about that huge hair of yours!"

"Okaaaaay!"

Umm, I forgot where the cleaning sections were! and now I wanted to cry because I was really hungry!

"Child?", a female prisoner tapped me on the shoulders.

It was mommy! That finally meant that I wasn't going to be hungry anymore!

"Mommy!"

"Ahaha", she laughed. "Why aren't you eating my dear?"

"Umm", I looked down. "Red stuff came on my hand when I touched John."

Mommy's face suddenly looked angry, "They still left that rotten corpse in there with you?"

"Corpse? What's that?", I tilted my head.

"Did they harm you in any way?"

"Dear", mommy hugged me, was she sad? Her voice sounded different.

Eh? Oh no! What did sad mean again?

"Come, I'll take you to the cleaning section"

"Okaaaay"

(Food station, 1 hour later)

"My dear"

"Yes, mommy?", the food looked old but, it was tasty anyway!

"You do love to play with your tech gear, right?"

"Hehe, Yes!", I wolfed down a piece of stale meat. "But, I didn't touch it since 3 years ago."

She chuckled, "How in the world did this entire prison fail to locate it?"

"I dunno, is it good or bad?"

Mommy leaned in all of a sudden, "Listen, you have to use it to escape from this place."

"What do you mean?"

After thoroughly looking around, she sat back and stared at me with a calm smile.

"Once you enter your cell, look through all the things you snuck in when you first arrived here, okay?"

I didn't quite get it, but I nodded anyway, "Okay."

(Cell, 9:21 pm)----------------------

"I can't sleep", I looked up into the dark. "What did mommy tell me again?"

Sleeping was hard for me, I didn't like it. Every time I closed my eyes, John would always lunge at me with a scary look and then some weird people would appear from nowhere and try to pull me away.

My brain finally lit up, "Uh, I remember now!"

Without wasting time, I stood up and clapped three times.

"Tech gear, hello?"

No response.

"Oh yes, his name", I scratched my head, thinking hard. "I can't remember, was it Blitz?"

*Beep Beep*

Little sounds echoed in the cell along with lights that flashed in front of me.

"That's it! Hello Blitz!", I giggled.

"-Tech gear activated-"

"-User's voice recognized-"

"-Taking physical form-", the lights got brighter, taking the shape of a small sphere that had a red light like an eye. The bot hovered harmlessly towards me.

"Wow, I forgot how you looked like", my eyes glittered. "So shiny."

Both of us stood there, staring at each other for what seemed to be an eternity. Hehe, I forgot why mommy told me to activate it so I just stared at it.

"-User, your staring is unnerving-"

"Haha", I laughed nervously. "I don't know what to do now."

"-You gave me one item to keep until you woke up-"

"Hmm?", an expression of confusion drew upon my face. "I'm sorry, I can't remember."

"-I'll release it immediately-", Blitz shined brightly again, this time completely illuminating the cell.

"Is that..."

Light gathered above Blitz, taking the form of a book. It had lots of weird designs and a lock on it, its lock seemed to have a keyhole that was made in the shape of a cross.

"What's this?", I reached out and grabbed it. "It's heavy. Hey John, what's this?"

He still didn't respond.

"-Origin of this material has not been found-"

Looking at the book placed some kind of warmth in my chest. It looked really weird but, attracted me as well. Trying to open it was impossible since it was completely shut tight.

"Mmm, what am I supposed to do with it?"

"-I have no idea-"

*Zzt*

"Ouch!", something suddenly stung me, causing me to drop the book and fall on my butt. "What kind of pain was that? It felt like someone scratched my brain."

I hesitantly moved over and grabbed it again, moving my hand over its rough surface.

"I've only felt pain on my body, this one is too different."

*Zzt!!*

The pain zapped my mind again and this time, it felt like I was about to lose my mind.

"W-Why!? Why is this one different!? I don't know how to deal with this! John, help me."

"Poor child", a male voice came from the book.

"Huh? Who's there?"

"Finally, after 5 years", another male voice, a bit deeper came out from the same book.

"Brothers, we have to help now", this time, it was the voice of a kind woman.

Just then, harsh light burst out from the book as three balls of light flew out and landed on the floor before me. Slowly taking human forms, they did look like humans but I was certain that I saw them all having lots of wings. Their white and golden armour shrouded their body in a bright glow.

"S-So bright"

"Hm, we're done for once we return", one of them with long black hair and black eyes supported himself on the wall. "We failed."

"I wouldn't really say that", the other male had emerald green eyes. "We have time."

"Both of you, we need to find out how our little soul here feels", the lady with short dark blue hair and brown eyes bent down right in front of me.

My lips trembled, "I-I'm scared"

"Fear not", she gently rubbed my left cheek with her palm. "You've been unaware of your situation since you stepped foot here."

"Tch, seeing this soul get maltreated made my blood boil", the black-eyed man clicked his tongue.

"Well, he's dead now", the green-eyed person glanced at John.

"Dead?", nothing was piecing together and I was even more confused.

"Child", sadness filled the woman's heart. "You shall now have your awareness returned to you."

The man with the green eyes walked behind the woman, "Will everything be okay once you do that?"

"Mm", she nodded. "Freedom is imminent."